Suzy Perez-Gurri Lodoño is a proud alumna of the OLLA Class of 1995. Using all the skills she acquired during her time at Lourdes, she took on the art of entrepreneurship through her coffee shop, ICONIK KOFFEE. Whether roasting or toasting with a coffee in hand, Suzy wears many hats and fills many cups while navigating the evolving coffee industry. Her coffee brand is bound to be ICONIK. Read on to learn how she and her team got started, the significance of her branding, and future plans to evolve the company. Stay tuned through the end to see what Suzy’s got brewing for her OLLA community.
Q: When did the company first start? What was the inspiration behind it?
A: Our family actually started a local coffee roasting business, Londono’s Coffee Crafts, in 2019. We import green coffee from our family farms in Colombia and roast at our Miami facility, located near The Falls Mall. Once we really started delving into the US coffee industry, we quickly realized that good quality coffee simply wasn’t available to the average consumer at a good price point, and we wanted to bridge that gap with our own farm-to-cup coffee shop concept in a way that was appealing and marketable to the everyday consumer.
Q: How did you choose the name?
A: We chose the name ICONIK KOFFEE because, first, coffee is probably the most iconic drink of all time, and second, we are passionate about serving coffee that is as unique and iconic as the people who drink it. We want to bring our customers closer to their favorite icons, whether it’s a famous person or your favorite teacher, a cherished location or an unforgettable childhood memory.
Q: What is the significance behind your branding?
A: Coffee has traditionally been regarded as an older person’s drink and we wanted to bring a fresh and modern look and feel to this old tradition and, ultimately, invite a younger generation to experience all that coffee has to offer.
Q: Where do you source your coffee beans from?
A: We source our coffee beans directly from our family farms in Santa Rosa de Cabal in Colombia. As a legacy coffee family, these farms have been passed down from generation to generation of the Londoño family for almost 150 years. We then roast it locally in Miami.
Q: What is the taste profile of your coffee?
A: At ICONIK KOFFEE, we offer our freshly roasted ICONIK Signature Blend beans. The smooth flavor profile features a balance of citrus, caramel and hints of dark chocolate.
Q: What are your brand key differentiators?
A: We believe that our most notable brand key differentiators are expertise, innovation, and pricing. The Londoño Family has been harvesting and roasting coffee for many generations and have the knowledge that comes with such extensive hands-on experience. Our unique business model, where we are serving coffee that is grown and harvested at our family farms and then roasted locally at our own facility, is a new and innovative concept in the industry and I firmly believe is a game changer for our business. All this paves the way for us to achieve our primary goal, which is to serve a high-quality cup of coffee at a price point that is appealing to all consumers.
Q: What makes you stand out among the large coffee retailers like Starbucks, Mr. Bean, etc.?
A: To really understand what sets us apart from those large retailers, it is necessary to give a bit of background on current coffee trends. Overall, coffee consumption is the highest it’s ever been, worldwide. But of particular interest to us is that specialty coffee demand is up a lot too, meaning consumers are becoming more educated and demanding better coffee. Restaurants and cafes can no longer get away with serving bad, cheap coffee. Simply put, we have a better product, in terms of quality and taste. In addition, we are literally farm to cup and roast locally in our own facility. Our coffee beans come straight from our family farms in Santa Rosa to our Miami roasting facility then straight to your cup. During the last two years, we have been providing mobile coffee services to the local community and have found that is a huge appeal to our customers. This unique farm-to-cup process actually gives us an edge in pricing over any-sized competitor. Most smaller shops can’t compete with the big corporations because there are so many hands in the pot (pun intended!) before the coffee gets to their shop, farmer, broker, roaster, distributors etc. We aren’t subject to all that, which even the big guys must deal with.
Q: How do you serve your coffee (size, style, etc.)?
A: At ICONIK KOFFEE, we offer all the traditional coffee house favorites including lattes, cappuccinos, and americanos plus a variety of handcrafted unique coffee preparations such as our most popular specialty drink, the Tres Leches Latte. Our hot coffee drinks come in two sizes, 12 oz and 16 oz, while our cold drinks come in a 16 oz size.
Q: What other products do you offer alongside your coffee products?
A: In addition to our specially crafted coffee menu, we also offer a variety of teas, some non-caffeinated specialty drinks for kids and, finally, we have our very own selection of all natural energy drinks, ICONIK ENERGY. The “energy” in our energy drinks is derived from the caffeine in green (unroasted) coffee beans and we have some fun flavors such as Pink Paradise (watermelon and mango), Tidal Wave (blue raspberry and watermelon) and Aftershock (orange and lime).
Q: Is there seating inside your cafe?
A: Our coffee shop is designed with a grab-and-go concept in mind, so we do not have seating available. Generally, US consumer mentality and culture has shifted significantly towards simplifying and streamlining. We found that when businesses try to conform to these trends, quality is usually sacrificed, ICONIK KOFFEE is determined to do just the opposite. Our focus is providing an excellent cup of coffee with exceptional service in a quick and convenient manner for our customers on the go.
Q: Is the South Miami location your only location? Do you have any other openings slated for 2025 and beyond?
A: Opening in January 2025, South Miami will be our flagship store. Shortly after that, we will begin construction on our second location at The Plaza in Coral Gables with more locations soon to follow.
Q: Can guests order from you in-store and/or on third-party delivery channels?
A: We are dedicated to bringing our customers an unparalleled ordering experience. Customers can order in person at our shop directly with a team member or at our self-service ordering kiosk. Orders can also be placed for in-store pickup on our mobile ordering app. We feel that there is a significant loss of quality control from when a drink leaves our shop to when it is delivered by third party delivery drivers, and this is not in line with our high standards. So, while we have been testing third party delivery services, we have not signed up with any of these providers at this time.
Q: Will you be offering any discounts to your fellow Lourdes girls?
A: Yes, absolutely! We are very excited to offer Buy One Get One Free on all drinks for OLLA girls who come in wearing their school uniform on the first Friday of each month from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM.
Q: Did you apply any of your learnings from Lourdes in your business venture?
A: Definitely. I believe that my years at Lourdes laid the foundation for strong leadership, problem-solving, and time management skills that proved invaluable in launching not only ICONIK KOFFEE, but in all our family business ventures. OLLA’s rigorous academic environment also taught me how to analyze complex situations, think critically, and make informed decisions—key abilities that have helped me navigate the business world.
